Weather and Photo Sessions: When should we reschedule? | Frisco family photographer
This month has been the rainiest and coldest October I have seen in years! The weatherman said that we have had 22 inches of rain in the last month, a record.
My family photo sessions are sold out in the months of October and November in preparation for Christmas cards, and families usually have scheduled their sessions around their own events.
Just like my clients, I am stalking multiple weather apps for the upcoming week's sessions. Any Texan resident can attest that predicting the weather is laughable and really just a guessing game.
Will it rain or snow? Will it just be cloudy? Will there be cats and dogs falling from the sky? Take a look at tonight's forecast at Frisco, TX in the same location at 5PM. Is it going to rain?
So something that that some people don't know is that picture taking conditions are actually AMAZING if it is overcast and cloudy but not raining. When the sun is covered by the clouds and diffusing light evenly, it can make your skin downright glow! And if there is water on the ground, it can create magical reflections.
Which brings me to the question that I usually get from clients who are also looking at forecasts and panicking: "Do we need to reschedule?"
In short, my answer is usually "Not yet."
Just this weekend, I was supposed to shoot 4 sessions outdoors on a Sunday evening. 3 days before the shoot, it said there was an 80% chance of rain. Two days before the shoots, it said 40% chance of rain. And by the time Sunday rolled around, there was rain in the morning, but no rain forecasted for the evening.
So while maintaining a lot of communication with my clients about what to expect, I try to hold firm to our scheduled sessions until a few hours prior before making the call. Kind of like calling a sporting event due to weather, we have to wait and see what Mother Nature has in store.
For sessions that are held in urban locations with paved ground, it is especially easy to take family photos when it has rained earlier in the day but stops.
Here are a few photos from my last rainy day photo sessions. For Jordan's family, it was actually sprinkling!
So all of this is to say, I will try my best to both ensure you have fabulous family photos and hold true to our appointments. If for some reason the weather doesn't cooperate, I will work with our schedules to find something mutually beneficial!
Sarah